A Whole New Chapter
by PowerSchlumpfi
Summary: 6x22 Tag - Setting in after THE KISS. Multi-Chapter, including my wishes and hopes for season 7. He felt freer than he had in a long time, relieved, because he'd unburdened himself to her. Because he'd finally managed to admit what he was truly feeling. To accept that he'd fallen in love again and that it was okay.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! God, I don't even know how to cope anymore. So many Jisbon feels everywhere and I just can't stop thinking about how beautiful the season finale was and how perfect Jane and Lisbon are together and that they're actually canon now. I still can't believe it. It's been over a week now and I'm still totally distracted by it, it's ridiculous. To express my feeling I just HAD to start a new story and it's probably going to be a longer one to fill the hiatus a bit. ****It's setting in right after THE KISS. **

**I apologize for any mistakes, but I hope you'll forgive me since I'm not a native speaker. I'll see if I can find a beta reader for the next chapters :)**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunatly I don't own anything except my words.**

* * *

Lisbon smiled when Jane pulled back a bit. She looked him in the eyes, gaze filled with happiness and longing. He smiled back at her, eyes switching between her eyes and her lips.

_He loved her._ It was still hard to fathom the enormity of that truth. Her fingertips were still touching his cheek and she felt his on her chin. They were so close. His heart was racing just as fast as hers. They'd waited so long for this. Years and years of suppressed feelings were suddenly ready to be expressed by actions.

„Do it again." she whispered, once again crinkling her nose in that cute and funny way, like she always did. Overwhelmed by all the feelings she caused him he leaned forward to let their lips touch again, this time a bit more passionate. He leaned forward as far as he could, now burying the second hand in her hair at the back of her head. Jane could feel her tongue brushing over his lower lip and he smiled into their kiss, parting his lips slightly to let her in. When they broke apart again, both with a smile on their lips, Teresa needed some time to recover. Her cheeks were flushed and she wanted to giggle like a school girl, because she felt so ridiculously happy. This was new and it was good, even though a bit weird. She would need some time getting used to their new situation, that was for sure.

She could still hear his voice in her head, how he'd spoken out the truth and only the truth for her, with a cracked voice in front of an airplane full of people.

* * *

„_There you are!" startled by the way too familiar voice she looked up, just to find him approaching her with an almost desperate look on his face. Still angry at him, she shut down immediately and put up a facade. How did he even manage to get in here?, she thought. He'd probably broken more than one law to get to her. But that was typical and didn't surprise her in any way. _

„_What are you doing here?" she asked, already expecting another selfish speech from him why she shouldn't go to DC. _

„_There's something I need to say." Yeah, of course he did. Probably that she'd be so bored without him and that he wanted her to stay for whatever selfish reason. _

„_I don't wanna see you. Go away." She was so angry at him for all sorts of reasons. She didn't want to hear it again. She was sick of his games and lies. But he stayed, of course he did, and continued his speech._

„_You're right. I… I have forgotten how to act like a normal human being and I play games, I lie, and I trick people to avoid the truth of how I feel." _

_His voice sounded cracked and he had tears in his eyes. It only took her half a sentence to realize that this wasn't one of his selfish little speeches. This was real. He was serious. And it wrecked her. The sound of his voice, the truth in his words. She looked up to him, her own eyes now filled with tears and anticipation._

„_And the idea of letting anyone close to me is… is terrifying for obvious reasons."_

_Her anger was gone then, instead there was fear and sadness… and confusion. Where did this suddenly come from? Where was he going? What did he want to say?_

„_The truth, Teresa, is that I can't imagine waking up knowing that I won't see you."_

_He was crying. He really was crying. And so was she. Her stomach felt like a tight knot, mixed with a nervous, fluttering feeling and some sickness. _

„_The truth is… I love you." _

_Teresa swallowed and looked away, unable to think properly, tears spilling down her cheeks. _

„_Whoo, you can't imagine how good that feels to say it out loud, but it scares me and it is the truth. It is the truth of what I feel."_

_Was this another attempt to make her stay? By telling her what he believed she wanted to hear? She'd never seen him like that before. He was actually crying and part of her knew that he was sincere. But he'd betrayed and tricked her so many times, how was she supposed to believe him just like that? So she followed her first intuition and said: „It's too late, Jane. It's too late." _

_It was what he said next that surprised her even more than his previous declaration._

„_Maybe. Maybe. And I understand, that's okay. I needed to get to this and you deserve to hear it." _

_He was willing to let her go. He hadn't told her because he wanted to make her stay. He'd told her because he needed to get it out of his system, because it needed to be said. Because it was the truth. And she knew how hard it must have been for him. She knew him so well, knew his fears and scars. That was probably the reason why it took him so long. And now, faced with the prospect of losing her, he'd found the courage to unburden himself to her. To show her that he was ready to love again. He probably hadn't even known himself before. Realization came with her leaving. _

_TSA agents were approaching him then and he raised his hands in surrender. _

„_I love you, Teresa." he said again, while they hauled him off. „And it makes me happy to be able to say that to you." _

_She couldn't help sobbing. He'd revealed himself completely to her, just like that. And she knew him well enough to be able to tell that he wasn't joking or lying this time. _

„_I love her! That woman in 12B, I love her! You take care of her!" _

_He practically shouted through the whole airplane and Teresa didn't know if she wanted to laugh, to cry or to scream, so she just kept crying._

„_I'm sorry, that was embarrassing." she said when he was gone, feeling the whole plane staring at her. _

„_Shush, honey. Every woman on this plane is green with envy." The older woman next to her gave her an encouraging smile, but Lisbon still wanted to hide somewhere and never come out again. _

_It took her exactly three minutes to realize that she needed to get off that plane. The first minute was filled with embarrassment and some kind of shock state. In the second minute, realization of what'd just happened sunk in and during the third, the insuperable urge to go after him, to comfort him and to save him was slowly setting in her mind. It was what she'd always done. Saving him. Why? Because she'd always seen more in him than others did. She'd seen the whole of him and she knew him so well. He made her laugh and he made her cry, but all the pain was worth it, because she loved him. And he loved her. It'd taken them 12 years to come to this point and she knew she couldn't let him go now just like that. _

_So she stood up with a sudden move, grabbed her bag from the rack and rushed towards the exit. _

_Someone started clapping and the whole plane joined in. Someone even wished her good luck. They'd certainly have something to tell their friends and families. _

_The stewardess was a bit annoyed and confused by another person disturbing the process of departure, but Lisbon didn't care. She needed to talk to Jane. _

* * *

„I love you." he said again, his face still so close to hers that their noses were almost touching. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, relishing the moment.

„I love you, too." she said then, looking up to him. He smiled, pupils dilated. She knew he wanted to kiss her again and she really wanted him to, but before he could do anything she recognized Abbott staring at them through the window, along with a TSA officer. Lisbon blushed and pushed Jane a bit away from her.

„We're being watched."

Jane sighed and turned around to wave Abbott with a big grin on his lips.

The man just shook his head with an amused expression on his face before he turned to step into the holding cell.

„You can't do anything without getting yourself into trouble, can you?" he asked with a sigh before looking at Lisbon „At least it was worth it."

„Oh, it was the best reason to break a law I ever had." Jane said with a smile.

„Anyway. I assume you'll be staying in Austin then, Agent Lisbon?"

„I will." she nodded, unable to wipe the smile away from her face.

„Well, that's good to hear. We're glad to be able to keep you. Especially Jane, I assume." Abbott grinned knowingly.

„I'm not just glad, I'm the happiest man in the world."

Without warning, Jane wrapped his arms around Lisbon, lifted her up a bit and spun her around the small holding cell. Lisbon squeaked and giggled and cursed and it was all worth it.

„Oh my god, Jane!" she laughed „You're such an idiot."

„I know I am. But you love me anyway." He let her down again, a bit breathless and Lisbon blushed, a bit embarrassed my his behavior in front of Abbott. She was more of a private woman after all.

„Yeah, maybe I should reconsider that again."

„Don't you dare." Jane kissed her on the cheek, expression full of joy.

„Yeeeah, you obviously need some time before coming back to work. Say three weeks? Until then you'll hopefully have yourselves under control again."

„I'm not sure he ever had himself under control." Lisbon said, grinning.

„Fair enough." Abbott sighed again, obviously amused. „I made some calls and you won't have to go to jail and you're still allowed to fly, but only because I promised them that you won't pull off a stunt like that ever again and that I'll have an eye on you."

„Well, at least I have no regrets. Thank you… and oh!" Jane pulled her car keys out of his pocket. „Here are your keys. Thank you for lending them to me."

„Always, if it's for a greater sake. And now shoo! Out with you two!"

When Jane and Lisbon stepped out of the airport into the fresh morning air they were both a bit stunned by how free and relieved they suddenly felt. Jane looked at her, as she was looking around for a cab and he couldn't help but smile again.

He loved her so much. She was his savior, his angry little princess.

He felt freer than he had in a long time, relieved, because he'd unburdened himself to her. Because he'd finally managed to admit what he was truly feeling. To accept, that he'd fallen in love again and that it was okay. He'd expected to feel guilty, but he didn't. Instead he felt utterly happy, for the first time in many years.

„Back to the Blue Bird lodge?" he asked, when they were about to get into one of the waiting cabs.

„Yeah, I'm tired, I'm starving and I could really need a shower. We're still checked in, right?"

„Yes. My stuff's still there anyway. Although we'll both have to take your room, because mine might be a crime scene."

Lisbon got into the cab, shaking her head in disbelieve. Jane followed her and seconds later the cab pulled out of the parking lot.

„What the hell, Jane? I can't leave you alone for two hours, can I? What happened?"

„Uh, I solved the case."

„You solved the cold case you dug out in order to somehow convince me to stay?"

„Uh, yes. I did."

Teresa shook her head. „You're unbelievable, you know that, right?"

„As if that is news to you."

„Well, you never cease to amaze me."

„I hope so. Because _you _never cease to amaze _me_ either." They changed a smile.

„So you knew you were gonna solve the case along the way?"

„Sure. Why would I want to let that opportunity slip? That poor woman deserved justice and she got it."

Jane grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. They were both silent for a while, staring out of the window and each lost in their thoughts.

Lisbon had a hard time realizing what was happening and that she really was where she was right now. She was supposed to be in DC now, but instead she'd run after the idiot she'd fallen unconditionally in love with. The man who was driving her crazy in every way possible. The man she truly loved and who actually seemed to love her back. The one she'd known for 12 years. The most important person in her life. She looked down on their intertwined fingers, feeling his hand touching hers. And in that moment she knew she didn't want to be anywhere else. She belonged to him. She was so supposed to be where he was, because even if it didn't look like it, she needed him just as much as he needed her.

12 years were a long time and she'd slowly become fond of him over the years. She still remembered the first day she met him like it hadn't been over a decade ago. Jane had been in a horrible place back then. He'd been a messed up man, who had lost his beloved wife and child to a psychopathic serial killer and who was filled up with guilt and grief. Teresa had of course heard of him before. With every case came the mourning relatives of the victims and according to what she'd heard, Patrick Jane had been one of those who couldn't cope well with their loss. She had known his case inside out and she could only imagine how horrible it was for him.

Nonetheless she hadn't been all that happy when Minelli had sent him with her to a murder scene, because he'd given her a weird feeling and would probably cause more work. She had known her day would be twice as stressful with him following her around. But order was order and so she'd taken him with her on their first case. Just like she'd predicted, Jane caused her trouble throughout the case with his unrestrained tongue and his psychic skills - even though he stated that there was no such thing as psychics. He'd done that more than once over the following years.

She'd found him more than annoying that first day and as miserable as he'd been, he'd still been a smart ass.

Overall, he'd reminded her a bit of her father. He was desperate and miserable and obsessed with the thought of taking vengeance. But she knew that such an obsession wasn't good and that it would destroy him one day and that he needed to move on, to try and built up a new life. And that's what she told him, even though she knew he wouldn't listen to her. She couldn't know back then than it would take him 12 years to finally make that step and that it'd be _with her_. She'd probably have laughed her ass off at the thought.

Kind as she was, she'd given him another chance and invited him to the office for the next day, even though she hadn't known if she really meant it.

„_Clean yourself up, you__'__re a mess.__"_ she'd said and Jane had actually listened to her. That'd been the point when she realized she'd probably have to put up with him for longer than one other day. This messed up man, with his „homeless vibe" and his slightly weird and arrogant attitude - never would she have thought that he'd become such an important part of her life.

After a while Jane had become a permanent member of the team and she couldn't help being amazed every time he solved a case. At the same time she'd been annoyed about all the trouble and work he caused her, but she'd still thought it was worth it. At least they'd gotten to catch the bad guys because of him.

She'd actually grown to like him and even care about him after working with him for a full year. She couldn't deny how useful he was to the team, but aside of that she cared about him as a person, even though she'd never have admitted it back then. She'd been very good in putting up a cold facade by calling him names or telling him to screw himself. Their daily banter had been light, even flirty sometimes.

They'd gone through good and bad times together, even through life threatening situations, through disappointment and success. She couldn't tell at what point exactly she'd fallen in love with him. It'd been a slow process, a development over many years.

Jane's thoughts were circling around the same thing when he stared out of the window, her hand in his. Just as her he couldn't tell when it happened, but he knew when he'd first realized it. It'd been when Red John had taken her. He'd had a feeling before, knew that she meant a great deal to him, but he needed the threat of losing her to actually realize it. He hadn't been ready though. Even after he'd killed Red John, he'd been too scared to acknowledge it or to even act on it. Again he'd needed the threat of losing her to bring up the courage to reveal himself. That was a big step for him, a huge one. But if he was able to move on with anyone, then it was her.

Nobody could ever understand him like she did. Nobody could ever be able to understand his pain and to accept his past. He'd been a mess and an asshole and he still had his moments when he hit rock bottom. He'd killed people. Who could ever understand or even accept that? She knew him. She knew the worst sides of him and still loved him. He had no idea how he deserved her, but she was there and he didn't plan on ever letting her go again.

The time passed quickly and they soon arrived at the Lodge. As Jane had predicted, his room was locked with yellow crime scene tape and Teresa just shook her head at it.

„Please tell me nobody died."

„No. A few flesh wounds caused by gunshots, but everyone's going to be fine."

Teresa slapped him on the upper arm, before opening the door to her room.

„Outch. What was that for?"

„Because you always put yourself in the most dangerous situations, once I turn my eyes away from you."

„Meh, the most dangerous thing I did last night was climbing over that fence for you."

„I wasn't even aware you were able to do such a thing. Where did you hide that athletic side?"

„Well, I didn't know I was able to either. I just tried because I had to. Didn't go so well…" he looked down on his foot „..but least I managed to get to you."

Teresa smiled at that. „Yeah. I'm glad you did."

„Me too."

She put her bag down on the bed and yawned. She hadn't slept in over 24 hours and was therefore more than exhausted.

„I'll just go and take a shower." she said and grabbed her toilet bag. Jane nodded and pulled off his shoes and his jacket to make himself comfortable on the bed, while Lisbon disappeared into the bathroom.

The hot water felt good on her skin. It eased her tense muscles and helped her relaxing a bit. She'd had a rough day and an even rougher night and couldn't wait to finally find some sleep. Lost in thoughts she touched her wet lips and smiled a little to herself.

„_The truth is… I love you." - „Good. Because I feel the same way." _

After 12 years of knowing him, she'd finally kissed Patrick Jane. And she'd enjoyed it. More than that, it'd made her happy, probably happier than she'd ever been. The truth was, she'd never loved anyone in her life like she loved him. She'd been engaged to Greg when she'd only been 19 and after him she'd had a few boyfriends now and then, but none of them had ever touched her like Jane did. Her feelings for him went deeper than for anyone else. It wasn't easy with him and it would probably never be, but that had never stopped her from being there for him when he needed her and it had never scared her away.

Of course he'd hurt her a lot over the years too, but she understood why he did it and she was a strong woman. She could deal with it. Also she was certain that he wouldn't hurt her again. Now that he'd revealed what he truly felt, she doubted he would risk losing her again in any way.

Ten minutes later, when she stepped out of the bathroom dressed in her favorite football shirt she felt much better. The shower had done wonders to her.

Jane was lying on the bed, eyes closed, breathing slowly and steadily. She had no doubt that he was asleep. She knew what he looked like when he was faking it and he certainly wasn't now. It had been a rough night for him too after all. Smiling at the sight she slipped next to him under the duvet, when she heard her phone vibrating on the bedside table. She frowned and took it, just to sigh with mixed feelings when she saw that Marcus was calling. She'd really no nerve talking to him right now, she needed some sleep first. This was going to be ugly and she wasn't in a state to face it right now. He'd just have to wait to get his heart broken by her. Teresa felt sick just thinking about it. But there was no way around it. She needed to break up with him. As soon as possible. After a few hours of sleep.

She closed her eyes and turned to Jane, wrapping one arm around his waist. And it felt like everything was going to be okay.

* * *

**I've already written a huge part of the next chapter :) I'm kinda excited because I have so many wishes for season 7 that I want to integrate in this story. Oh, and the next one will be M rated I think. But not all too smutty :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys :) I did my best and managed to finish the new chapter for you. It's even longer than the last one and I really hope you like it just as much. There's an M rated part, but like I already said it's not too smutty. I changed the Pike part for MentalistLover13, because she had a really good idea that I wanted to include in this story. Thanks for that :) and thank you so much for all the nice reviews, you guys are the best. xx**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

* * *

The sun was already setting when Jane woke up from the best sleep he'd had in years. He slowly opened his eyes, a bit irritated by the weight on his chest at first, but then he remembered and a smile crept on his face. Teresa was lying half on top of him, sound asleep. He didn't remember cuddling up with her, he must have fallen asleep when she'd been in the shower. He carefully placed a hand on the small of her back, just to hold her a bit. His other hand wandered down her petite body, just to notice her bare legs and the soft fabric of her panties. She was wearing her football tricot, but it must have ridden up over her butt during her sleep, much to his pleasure. His hand wandered up again to brush a strand out of her face. She looked so peaceful and beautiful and all he wanted was staying like this forever, just staring at her and relishing the moment.

A short while later her eyelids began to flutter and he held her a bit closer to prevent her from just rolling away from him when she woke up.

„Good evening, sleepyhead." Jane whispered when she finally opened her eyes. She startled a bit before she remembered what had happened the night before. She shifted her body a bit under his grip to be able to face him, still laying half on top of him.

„Evening." she said with a smile, cheeks flushed.

Jane's hands wandered up to the back of her head to draw her closer and kiss her tenderly on the lips. They both tasted like sleep, but it didn't matter.

„God, I'm starving." Lisbon said when they broke apart again and her growling stomach underlined her words. She didn't even remember when she'd eaten something the last time. Probably about 24 hours ago.

„Yeah, me too. Room service?"

„Definitely."

She rolled over and let Jane sat up to call the reception. She laid there for a few seconds, again realizing what was happening, before she got up and tiptoed over to the bathroom. She'd deliberately ignored her phone on the bedside table, even though she felt like it was staring at her and judging her for basically cheating on her still-quasi-boyfriend.

When she came back, she found Jane holding it to his ear and pure horror flooded her. What the hell was he doing?

„Alright. 20 minutes. Thank you." he hang up then and when he saw Lisbon's inquiring look, he pointed to the room phone.

„It didn't work, so I used your phone. You have uh… 20 missed calls from Pike by the way." Relieve, followed by a new wave of guilt. She needed to end this. Now.

„Oh god, I'm a horrible person. I should call him now. I… I'll go outside for it."

„Okay." Jane gave her an encouraging smile. „But you're the least horrible person I know, Teresa. Please don't make yourself feel bad. If anyone is to blame here, then it is me, because I was stupid enough to almost let you go."

„You were stupid, but so was I. I was stupid enough to tell him I would marry him even though I knew I didn't really love him. That wasn't fair."

Jane raised an eyebrow. „You're engaged?" She saw the pure horror in his eyes. „I didn't even know he asked you! Yesterday you said you weren't getting married."

„And I wasn't! I said yes when I was on my way to the airport."

„Because you were angry with me?"

„I guess."

„Well, have fun breaking his heart then."

Lisbon shot him a glare. „Seriously Jane, it's not funny."

„And I don't think it is. I'm sorry."

She took a deep breath and put on her trousers, before walking towards the balcony door.

It was hot outside, even though the sun was almost set completely. She took another deep breath before dialing Pike's number. He answered quickly.

„Teresa! Thank god! I tried to reach you the whole day, what happened? I saw Jane on the news? He was hauled off an airplane to DC… and they interviewed some passengers, who said he'd sneaked onto the plane to declare his love to a woman. It was like a scene from a movie, they said. And the woman actually ran after him. What's going on, Teresa?"

„Uh, yeah, I'm sorry…I… I slept through the whole day… it's… it was on the news?!" She covered her face with her free hand and sighed.

„So is it true? Did Jane chase after you?"

„Oh god… Yes. Yes, he did."

„And he told you that he loves you?"

Teresa took a deep breath and closed her eyes. „Yes."

Pike was silent for a moment, probably thinking about what that meant.

„And you ran after him after he was hauled off." It wasn't a question.

„Yes."

She was probably supposed to say more, to give him an explanation, but she couldn't. All words seemed to be wiped away from her brain.

„So what did you tell him then? That he's too late, that you're engaged? Look, Teresa, I understand if you wanted to talk to him after…"

She cut him off. She couldn't listen to that. She just couldn't.

„No. No, I asked him if he meant what he said."

„And?"

„He did mean what he said. And… and I told him that I feel the same way."

Another pause and Teresa could him hear taking a deep breath.

„You… you do?"

„Yes, I do. I'm sorry, Marcus. I really am."

Silence. It felt like an eternity.

„Well, you moved to Texas for him in a heartbeat, but you needed weeks to decide if you want to move to DC with me… I should have seen it."

„I'm sorry."

„I should have known that this would happen. I mean, it was obvious."

Teresa felt tears prickling in her eyes. This wasn't easy at all. She didn't want to hurt him, he was a good guy. But she knew she had to.

„You've loved him all this time, didn't you?"

„Yes. I did. And I'm sorry."

„I just wish you'd have made up your mind before we started dating. I mean, come on, Teresa! You've known this guy for 12 years!" Pike paused „Well, I guess I can't compete with that."

„I hope you'll find someone who is honest with you. And I'm sorry I couldn't be that someone."

„It's okay, Teresa. I understand. At least I'm trying to. Just… Just tell me one thing. Why did you agree to marry me yesterday, just to throw yourself into the arms of another man right after? I… I just don't get it, Teresa."

Silence. Again. And this time it was an even more awkward kind of silence, because she had no idea what to tell him.

„I… I was angry at Jane. And I never thought he would actually… that he really… oh god, I'm sorry, Marcus. I used you, because I thought I could never have the one I really wanted. I tried so hard to be happy, I actually started to believe I was. But now I know that I wasn't. I'm terribly sorry… I don't even know what to say."

Marcus took another deep breath. „Well, I guess that's it then. I hope he was worth sacrificing what we had."

Lisbon couldn't suppress a sob, although he was a bit melodramatic. They'd only been together for a month after all.

„Goodbye Marcus." she said quietly. „I really am sorry."

„Yeah, me too. Goodbye Teresa."

And that was it. Just like that.

She wiped away the tears from her cheeks and went back inside, somehow feeling relieved and devastated at the same time. Jane was at the door, answering the room service. When he returned with their food on a tray, he noticed of course that she'd been crying, so he put the tray down and came over to her to draw her into his arms and hold her closely.

„Are you okay?" he asked.

„Yes." she murmured against his chest. „I guess breakups are never easy."

„Probably. Not that I know from personal experience. I've never had to break up with anyone."

Lisbon looked up to him in surprise. „Never?"

„Never. I met Angela when I was 16. We got together and we stayed together until Red John took her away from me. Well, you know about following 13 years… and now I'm with you, and breaking up with you is like the last thing I'd ever do."

„Wow… that's…uh…Well, that's good to know." Lisbon smiled and stood up on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips.

„And now I really need to eat. I feel like I'm about to faint."

She sat down on the bed, back leaning against the bed-head and put the tray down on her legs.

„A bear claw! How'd you get that?"

Jane grinned mischievously and crawled next to her onto the bed.

„By promising an extra-extra tip."

Lisbon gave him one of her „Really?"-looks and took a big bite of the sweet pastry.

„Mhhm. This is delicious. And there are two more of them! God, I love you, Jane."

The words came out so easily and casually that she was startled by herself for a moment. But Jane seemed to be utterly happy by hearing those three little words, so she recovered pretty quickly and continued enjoying her bear claw. Her cheeks kept a slight shade of pink though.

„Well, I love you too." he said just as casually before taking the plate with eggs from the tray.

„How can this be weird and not weird at all at the same time? I'm so confused." Teresa said after she'd finished her first bear claw.

„Hmm, well, it's just natural that you are confused. You've planned on moving and marrying another man and now you're here. And we've known each other for a long time… changes tend to confuse people."

„Aren't you confused?"

„No. I know what I want now and I'm finally ready for it. You make me happy, Teresa. And I'm sorry that I needed so much time to tell you how I feel. You know why it took me so long and you know that it's still hard for me… and that is one of the reasons why I love you so much. You know the worst sides of me…" he paused and looked at her.

„…and I still love you." she said quietly.

„…and you still love me…" Jane raised an eyebrow and smirked a bit „Probably because I keep providing you with bear claws."

She grinned at that and took another joyful bite. „That might be one of the reasons."

„Besides my charming personality and my incredibly gorgeous looks of course."

Teresa slapped him for that comment, of course she did. She laughed and almost choked on her bear claw.

„You shouldn't be so cocksure of yourself, you can certainly be a pain in the ass."

„Yeah, you used to tell me that on a daily basis. You haven't in a while though. Why is that?"

„Well, I guess that changed with everything else."

„I'm glad everything has changed." Jane smiled a little and she knew what he meant. Happier times had begun and that was worth all changes.

„Yeah, me too."

* * *

Half an hour later Teresa was cuddled up against Jane's chest, while they were watching a documentary about the amazon.

„I always wanted to travel the world. You know, when I was young. I dreamed about backpacking through Europe, doing a safari in Africa and discovering the jungle, but I've never done any of that. I've hardly ever left the United States." Teresa said while playing with the collar of Jane's shirt, eyes focused on the TV.

„Well, you can still do it. _We_ could do it. If you want."

She smiled sadly. „I wish it were that easy."

„But it is that easy. What's holding you back?"

„I have a job? And…"

Jane cut her off. „Meh. You could take a sabbatical. You deserve it. And life's not supposed to be dedicated to working only."

Lisbon thought about that for a moment. „I guess you're right. It's just… my job is all I've ever known. I never had much time for going out with friends or anything because I had to take care of my brothers. And then I went to police academy and I knew I had to succeed for a better life. And that thought always haunted me, I guess."

Jane placed a kiss on her hair, his hand caressing the small of her back.

„Well, you have a good life _now_. Time to start making your dreams come true."

„I even wrote a bucket list when I was like 16. I think I still have it somewhere."

„Interesting. Most people never comply with these lists. You shouldn't be one of them, Teresa. You should live your life to the fullest."

„A bit philosophic today, huh?"

„Maybe. But I meant what I said a few weeks ago. I want you to be as happy as possible, no matter what it takes."

Lisbon shifted a bit in her position and crawled on top of him to look him in the eyes.

„I _am_ happy." she said and smiled sincerely. „I am now."

Before he could say another word she leaned down and kissed him tenderly, one hand buried in his curls. He wrapped both of his arms tightly around her, one hand resting on her back and the other on her neck. The kiss was quickly growing more passionate and when Lisbon felt Jane's tongue touching her lips she didn't hesitate a second to let him in and welcome him with her own.

They both moaned quietly in pleasure, starting to feel lightheaded by the new sensation they felt. They'd secretly waited so long for this and even though their relationship was mainly based on deep and pure love, there was and had always been a great deal of sexual tension between them. Some people would say it came naturally together and others would say it were two things that could as well go without each other, but Jane had always been one to find true sexual pleasure only with a woman he truly loved. And now, after over 13 years of abstinence it almost felt like he was on drugs.

His hands were trembling when he tried to pull off her tricot, but he succeeded and was completely stunned for a moment by the sight he revealed. Teresa gave him a challenging smile while she unbuttoned his shirt, feeling his gaze on her breasts. She didn't need long and when she leaned down to kiss him again and naked skin touched naked skin it almost felt like an electric shock between them.

His hands wandered up and down her petite body, trying to memorize every part of it.

Teresa moaned quietly, enjoying the shivers his touches sent through her.

It didn't take them long to get rid of the remaining clothes that kept them apart and Teresa couldn't remember when she'd felt that aroused the last time. It took all her power to keep it slow and sensual. Jane sealed her lips with another kiss, hands softly caressing her back.

God, this felt so good. So right. They had such a deep emotional connection, that the physical touch felt even more intense, almost like they could look into each others souls.

Smiling, Lisbon looked down into his eyes. His pupils were dilated and she knew exactly how he felt, because she felt just the same. She kept her eyes locked on his, before she slowly sat down on him and let him enter her.

It felt like an explosion of feelings, electricity sizzling between them. They both groaned at the same time, kissing longingly and soon finding a steady but firm rhythm.

Teresa pulled away from their kiss, but stayed close to him, one hand gently touching his cheek. She smiled. She smiled her broadest smile for him and Jane realized another time how much he wanted this. Wanted _her._ And how much he loved her. Every time she smiled at him he fell in love with her all over again. He remembered all the cases they'd solved together, all the adventures they'd experienced, all the trouble and all the fun they had. And how she'd always been there for him and had never given up on him, when everyone else had. In that moment, with her as close to him as it was physically possible, he knew that he was actually happy again. That he'd survived a nightmare that couldn't have been worse and that he was actually able to smile sincerely again. And he knew he wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for her. He felt somehow complete, like he hadn't done in over 13 years.

„I love you." she whispered and Jane couldn't help a few tears escaping his eyes. She wiped them away, like she'd always had, even though metaphorically and kissed the spots on his face where she'd caught them. Tenderly. Lovingly.

Jane brushed some strands of hair out of her beautiful face and smiled up to her, still silently crying.

„I love you."

He kissed her and held her closely, just to bring himself on top of her with a quick and handy move.

„_When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,_

_I all alone beweep my outcast state__…"_

He whispered into her ear, while continuing making love to her. His voice sent shivers up and down her spine.

„_And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,_

_And look upon myself, and curse my fate,_

_Wishing me like to one more rich in hope__…"_

He kissed her neck tenderly and she moaned with pleasure. Patrick Jane was probably the only man on earth who could recite Shakespeare while making love to a woman and be even more attractive. Most men would probably make fool out of themselves if they tried to do such a thing, but not Patrick Jane.

„_Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,_

_Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,_

_With what I most enjoy contented least__…" _

His voice was low and hoarse, although just quietly whispered, when he recited the sonnet in between kisses. Wild sensation was bubbling up in her and she knew she'd never felt more home than in that very moment.

„_Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,_

_Haply I think on thee, and then my stat__e,_

_Like to the lark at break of day arising_

_From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;_

_For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings_

_That then I scorn to change my state with kings.__*"_

(* Shakespeare Sonnet 29)

With the feeling of him inside of her, his lips on her neck and his voice in her ear, it didn't take her long to find satisfaction and he followed right after. Her heart was racing, her cheeks were flushed and she felt a pleasurable mixture of exhaustion and happiness.

„Please never stop doing that." she said after a short while, still a bit breathless, while her head was resting on his bare chest.

„Doing what?"

„Reciting Shakespeare."

Jane chuckled. „Yeah, I thought you'd like that."

"Well, I have to admit it's incredibly seductive in a really strange way."

Lisbon sighed contently. They had done it. The next step. And it had even been better than she'd always imagined. It was another thing Patrick Jane was outstandingly good at and she enjoyed it completely. Sleeping with him had felt completely different than sleeping with Pike. It'd been so much more intense and had felt so much more right. 12 years. And they'd finally done it. 12 years after she'd first secretly imagined it.

Jane couldn't help remembering the last time he'd made love to a woman, such a long time ago when his beautiful Angela had still been a part of this world. He suddenly felt the heavy weight of his ring on this finger and for the first time he felt like taking it off. He'd decided to try and move on, to love again and to give himself a chance to find happiness. It didn't feel right to wear it when he loved another woman. Loving Teresa didn't mean forgetting Angela or Charlotte, it just meant that there was another beautiful woman in his life, one that saved him and made him just as happy. It was hard to accept, but he knew he didn't have to feel guilty. And he didn't. It surprised him, but he actually didn't feel guilty. He felt good, because he was finally ready. Because he didn't want to apologize for loving her.

Jane sat up and automatically made Lisbon sitting up too, since her head had still been resting on his chest. She gave him an confused look, but he just shook his head and looked down on his ring, nervously fiddling with it.

Teresa felt a stitch in her chest, like a needle was slowly and painfully piercing her heart. Had it been too much? Had he not been ready after all? Would she ever even be able to live up to the standards of his wife?

„Jane, I…" she started without even knowing what she wanted to say.

„No. Wait. Don't… don't ever think that I love you less than I love her. I need you to know that you're not just a cheaper replacement. I fell in love once and I lost her and I fell in love again. She saved me from my father and you saved me after I lost her. And I… I just can't feel guilty for loving you. And I don't want to."

Teresa felt her eyes filling with tears. She was deeply touched by his words, even more than by his first declaration. She knew how much he'd loved Angela and to know that she didn't have to compete with her was not only a relieve, but an honor and proof for how much she must mean to him.

„God, Jane, I…" A few tears escaped her eyes and a lump was building up in her throat. Her gaze followed his down on his ring. He was still fiddling with it, giving her a short look before pulling it off his finger with a quick move. He pressed in into her hand and left in there, while his eyes were locked on hers.

The ring felt heavy in her hand. She felt another wave of tears that desperately wanted to escape but she bit them back. This was too important. „I want you to keep it safe."

„I will." she whispered, closing her eyes and interrupting their contact for a second. „I will." Lisbon looked down on Jane's wedding ring and back up to him, completely stunned by what just had happened.

She'd watched him so many times fiddling with his ring over the years, especially back at the CBI before he'd killed Red John. It was a habit, he'd done it when he was nervous or anxious or when he was lying on his couch, completely lost in thoughts. She'd often thought about how lonely he must feel, how lost and cold, without anyone to ever give him some comfort. There was so much more between his arrogant, self-assured and always smiling facade. There were so many emotions, there was a complicated past that made him doubt himself sometimes and there was a great ability to love and to do good. Most people never managed to look behind his facade, but she did. She'd always seen more in him. He was a good man, good at heart, but he'd been through much and sometimes he'd just forget about it. He'd worked as a conman because it was all he'd ever known. It was what his father had taught him and it was what he'd done when he was just a young boy, even though his conscience had plagued him. He'd told her about it in one of the rare moments he'd opened up to her. He'd never felt good conning people and one day his arrogant facade had ultimately caused a serial killer to go after his family. He'd gotten the payback he'd always been afraid of. And since then he'd never called himself a psychic or a medium anymore. He wasn't a conman anymore. He was just a man with an incredibly good perceptivity. And he'd started to use it in order to do good. Of course he'd kept some bad habits from his past as a conman, but Lisbon believed that he'd never actually realized how much good he was doing with his skills, because he'd been too filled up with self-hatred and self-depreciation.

A tear was spilling down her cheek as she looked at him and she couldn't help the insuperable urge to hug him, to hold him close like nobody had in years. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him close, let him bury his face on her shoulder.

And they stayed like that the whole night, giving each other warmth and comfort, only changing to a lying position at one point, until they both fell asleep, exhausted and utterly satisfied.

* * *

**That's it for now, but I'm already on the next chapter. I don't know why, but I always felt like reciting Shakespeare during sex is something Jane would do. It's a bit weird, but well - I kinda like the idea, haha. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there! I hope you guys had a nice weekend so far. Thank you so much for your nice reviews, I always get quite excited when I receive a new one. ****I have a new chapter for you and I really hope you'll like it. I definitely enjoyed writing it :)**

**A huge thanks and a hug to my beta tamariskie :)**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.**

* * *

Patrick and Teresa checked out of the lodge the next morning and booked a flight back to Austin, both well rested and ready to start a whole new chapter of their lives. It was another hot and sunny day in Miami and it fit their moods just perfectly.

Perfect.

It was a word neither of them had used in a long time, but somehow everything had started to feel that way.

Perfect.

There was, of course, a lot of stuff they needed to work through, but for that very moment on that beautiful morning in Miami, everything seemed to be perfect.

„I don't even know where to stay in Austin. I already sold my house. I'll have to get a new one." Lisbon said when they were sitting next to each other on the beach, looking out over the deep blue sea.

„Well, you could…" Jane started and Lisbon gave him one of her deadly glares.

„I'm not going to live in your silver trash can, not even for a day."

„It's actually quite cozy. Well, the bed is not all that comfortable, but…"

She cut him of again. „I'm not going to live in that thing, Jane."

He smiled then and shrugged. „Well, I wasn't talking about the Airstream in the first place anyway. I was talking about my house."

Lisbon raised an eyebrow. „Your… house?"

„Yes. I bought it a few months ago. It's in a good living area in Austin. A lot of families and older people."

„Wait. You bought a house?"

„Yes."

„Why would you do that?"

„I don't know. I felt like buying it. It's beautiful, it has a huge backyard and a patio and a white fence…"

„How can you even afford this?"

„Well, I still have some savings from my time as a con and also I've sold my summer residence on Hawaii."

Lisbon's eyes widened.

„You had a house on Hawaii?" She shook her head in disbelief.

„Uh, yes. So what do you say then?"

„To what?"

„Do you want to live in my house?"

She stared at him, not quite sure what to say. Was he serious? Did he suggest … moving in together? She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, so she closed it again.

Jane laughed at her shocked expression and shook his head.

„I didn't say I'd also move in. I'm fine with my trailer."

„Why don't you live in your house?"

„Well, it's way too big for one person and I'd go crazy in there alone."

„But I am supposed to live there alone?"

Jane sighed, grinning at how ridiculous their conversation was.

„You don't have to. It was just an offer. Although we could live there together… I mean, if you want."

So he really did suggest moving in together, he just did it in his very own Jane-way, by playing mind games to trick her into thinking it was her idea.

„You know, I've known you long enough to see through your mind games. You could just have asked me directly if I want to move in with you."

Jane shrugged, grinning mischievously.

„Well, do you?"

Lisbon looked down on the sand next to her and played with a handful of it. It was a good question. She'd never really lived with a man before, except her father and brothers. It was a tempting offer. She liked the prospect of finally settling down and of course the thought of spending all her days and nights with him… but on the other hand it was a huge step, and they'd only been together for roughly 40 hours.

„I… I don't know. I mean, it's a huge decision and…" she looked at him and suddenly remembered how many times she'd said those words to Pike. Because she hadn't been sure. Because it had all seemed rushed and she'd felt the pressure on her shoulders. But this wasn't Pike. And this wasn't rushed. It had been in the making for almost 12 years. Did she really want to waste more time? She was sure she wanted this, so why wait? She smiled, her head tilted slightly to one side.

„You know what? Actually… yes. Yes, I do. I want to move in with you."

Jane smiled at her. „I was hoping you'd say that."

With a quick move he grabbed her arm and dragged her down into the sand with him. She laughed and crawled half on top of him, so that she could face him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, her face mere millimeters above his. She was giggling at his childish move.

„Be careful, if you don't behave I might have to reconsider my decision."

„Meh. You're bluffing. I can see it in your eyes. You're still such a bad liar. We'll have to work on that."

Lisbon leaned down to kiss him, only to playfully bite his lower lip.

„Ouch." he wailed half-heartedly, pulling a face.

She smiled again, but only shortly, before her expression turned serious.

„We have a lot to discuss then. I mean, should I pay you back a part to buy me in? What about furniture? How is this even gonna work? What if we…" she sounded a bit frantic, but that was no small wonder considering how much of a control freak she was. Jane rolled his eyes, sighed and cut her off by pressing his lips on hers. Lisbon broke apart, bringing out an almost desperate „Jane!", but he just kissed her again and she had a hard time resisting him. But he felt how anxious she was, so he pulled back with a sigh and brushed a strand out of her face.

„It doesn't matter, Teresa. It's all going to work out. Just let it go for once. Don't try to control everything."

„I'm not…!" she protested, but Jane just shook his head.

„Yes, you are."

„I'm not a control freak, but this is a serious matter and a huge step. I want to do it right."

„And you will, Teresa. Just… just calm down, okay? It's all going to work out."

„How can you know that?"

„Because I love you and that is all that matters to me."

Lisbon sighed, rolled down from him and sat up again.

„Look, Jane, I… I really want this. Don't even ask me why, it's probably because I'm a masochist. But I want to be with you and I want this to work. And in order to make it work you can't just shrug off any form of responsibility. We're not 16 anymore."

Jane sat up and raised his hands in surrender. „Okay, okay. You're probably right. First, I don't want you to pay me, because I already bought the house for us. Second, it's already furnished - but you can of course either trust my taste or make changes, if you want. Third, you'll get used to it. We'll develop a routine pretty quickly, I can assure you that. And fourth, no ‚what if's because that is never gonna happen."

„You should know best that there are always ‚what if's in this world."

„Maybe. But I can't think about them now. I don't want to."

Lisbon sighed and gave him a small smile. „All right. No ‚what if's." She paused for a moment, then: „I have to call Marcus again and give him the address, so he can send my stuff back to Austin…" She said it more to herself, but it was obvious that she wasn't keen on dealing with him again. She was still ashamed and felt guilty just thinking about him, let alone talking to him.

„If he didn't already burn it, of course."

„Meh, he doesn't seem like the most vengeful kind of guy." Jane said, grabbing her hand to give her some comfort.

„Mhm. I wouldn't be so sure."

„This is your house?!" Lisbon asked with widened eyes, when they arrived at their new home in the late afternoon.

„Our house." Jane emphasized with a big grin on his face.

Lisbon ignored him and walked towards the front door, stunned by how huge and beautiful it was.

„It is HUGE. You didn't tell me it was that HUGE."

„Well, I said it is too big for a single person."

„It's also too big for two people. Holy crap, Jane!"

Lisbon looked around the huge garden and shook her head.

„Do you want to see the backyard or the inside first?" Jane asked when they stepped onto the patio in the front and put down their bags.

„Backyard." was all she managed to say, speechless because of her surroundings.

So Jane grabbed her hand and led her around the house to let her find the huge pool, imbedded between beautifully arranged flowerbeds, lawn and bits that were paved with fancy looking stones.

Lisbon's jaw dropped open and she couldn't stop shaking her head in disbelieve.

„How can you even afford this?"

„Uh, I think you underestimate how much I made with conning people, my dear."

„But… but you used to sleep on a makeshift bed in a stupid old attic at the CBI! Or in a shabby motel! And lately in a stupid old trailer… while you were a rich little shit all this time? I can't believe it."

„Well, I never said I was poor."

„I think I don't even want to know how much you paid for it…" Lisbon looked around, still in awe. „It is too much, Jane! I can't live in a house like that, I'm…"

„You're what? You're worth everything I can give, Teresa and you know I don't care about money."

She smiled a little at him, but she couldn't stop shaking her head. The house wasn't just a usual house, it was a mansion. Her old place in Sacramento would probably fit ten times inside it. It wasn't too snobbish, though. It was beautiful, with a slight Mediterranean touch. In fact, it looked exactly like the house she'd always dreamed about living in one day. She didn't even wonder anymore how he could possibly have known that. He was Patrick Jane after all.

* * *

„_What are you drawing, darling?"_

_Teresa looked up from the piece of paper in front of her, a blue crayon in her hand._

„_My future house."_

_Her Mom knelt down beside her and picked the drawing up to have a closer look at it._

„_Well, that is a big house. And so beautiful. Who is that?" She pointed to a figure that looked like a man who was holding hands with a brunette woman._

„_That is my husband. He is nice and he loves me." Teresa said with a broad smile and took the drawing back from her Mom to finish it._

„_Oh, I'm sure he loves you more than anything, my dear." The young woman patted the head of her daughter lovingly. She was a beautiful little girl, with big green eyes and dark brown hair, the spitting image of her mother._

„_Just like Daddy loves you."_

„_Yes. You'll find someone who means the world to you, I promise. Someone who makes you laugh and cry and who makes you happy, despite all difficulties."_

„_I have it all planned!" Teresa said._

„_You have?" Her mother smiled at how much of a „planner" her little daughter was. She made plans for everything, and she'd done it since she'd started to talk._

„_Yes! I meet him at work. He's a cop, just like me. And he's smart and handsome and funny. And we get together and we marry and move into my house and have children. Oh, and he gives me a pony, because Daddy won't give me one."_

„_Sounds like a good plan, sweetie."_

_Teresa nodded, excited about her plan. Everything was going to be good. And she would live like a princess - like Pocahontas! She would be strong and brave, but also a princess. She wanted to be both. And she would get her happy end with her prince. She was certain._

* * *

She would never tell him that he fit almost exactly into the plan she'd made as a little girl, never. Because he would never stop talking about it if she did. It hadn't worked out exactly like she'd planned, but for the first time in decades, she believed that she could get a happy ending. Or at least a happy life. A good life.

The house was just as stunning from the inside as it was from the outside. Lisbon tried to protest another time, but Jane cut her off with a kiss and shoved her backwards against the fridge. She knew she couldn't win this fight. They would live in this house and, if she was being honest, she loved the idea. Of course she did. It was the secret house of her dreams after all.

„How did you…" she started between to kisses.

„… know that you always wanted to live in a house like this?" Jane finished for her and she nodded, a bit disappointed when he pulled back to look at her.

„Well, you know I can read your thoughts, my love. Also, I saw your drawing in your old flat in Sacramento. You framed it and hung it up over your desk, so it was obvious that that drawing must mean something to you. Most people don't hang up drawings from their childhood."

Teresa smiled at him, once again amazed by his talent to perceive and remember everything around him.

„Yeah, actually, it reminds me of my Mom. And of my dreams that went out the door the moment I became an orphan."

Jane brushed a strand of hair out of her face and gave her a smile.

„Well, here you are now. Moving into the house you always dreamed of. Seems like your dreams stayed with you anyway. Deep down."

„I guess they did."

Lisbon knew he was right of course. Deep down she'd never stopped dreaming. There was still the same little girl in her, who wanted nothing more than to be brave and happy and loved. And when she thought about it, she had all of that right in that moment. She was strong and brave and independent, the cop she always wanted to be. She knew now that Jane loved her, because he'd finally found the courage to tell her - overall she had everything she could wish for. She had no reason not to be happy. Truly happy. Not that kind of happiness she'd talked herself into when she'd been with Pike, but true happiness. And she realized once again that she'd made the best decision of her life by getting off that plane to DC.

* * *

_Lisbon was pacing around the waiting area in front of the TSA section at the airport. She could still hear Jane's voice in her head, she heard his little speech again and again, repeated it herself a million times. It was hard to comprehend the recent developments in her relationship with him and she couldn't quite believe that he'd actually declared his love to her. In front of an airplane full of people! Actually, she couldn't even believe that he really loved her. Like, loved her. For real. She needed to hear it again, that was for sure. He'd already said and taken it back once after all._

_He'd cried. Patrick Jane had cried because of her. Because he loved her and he'd been about to lose her forever. She'd never seen him cry before. Not like that. And certainly because of anyone else but his murdered family._

_What was she supposed to do now? What was she supposed to say?_

_She ran her fingers through her hair in a nervous gesture. Where would this be going? What would happen once she was in there with him?_

_Lisbon took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Jane had found the courage to tell her what she desperately needed to hear and what he desperately needed to say. Now it was her turn. He'd put himself out there. Now she had to do the same thing._

_If someone had told her a few years earlier that she'd be in a situation like this one day she'd probably have had a good laugh. She'd spent so many years working with Patrick Jane. They had solved countless cases together and somehow become close friends along the way, ultimately falling in love with each other. They'd been through good and bad times, through darkness and light…_

_Patrick Jane was a phenomenon. He was unpredictable. His mind was like a labyrinth that she'd never be able to find her way through. He was fascinating._

_He was also captured by darkness, broken and full of grief. Yet he managed to break out and love again. Because he had a heart. He was a good man, even though he didn't believe it himself._

_And Teresa loved him. She loved him so much._

_She'd let him hurt her, let him mess with her, always knowing that she would forgive him. Because she understood him. She understood his pain. And he'd always come back to her. She'd always been there for him when he came back. Just like he'd always been there for her when she really needed him._

_She could name a lot of people who would call her a fool for loving him. She probably was a fool. But the truth was that he made her happy. He made her smile. And she knew he needed her._

_Revealing his feelings to her had been a huge step for him. Now it was her turn._

_And she wasn't nervous anymore. She knew what she needed to say._

* * *

The house turned out to be even bigger on the inside. It had five bedrooms, each connected to its own bathroom, two hobby- or workrooms and a huge living room with an even larger open kitchen. In addition, there was a gym room and a sauna in the basement. The furniture was tasteful, just like Lisbon had expected and there were a lot of windows that provided every room with enough daylight. It was cozy and beautiful, even though a bit too big for two people.

„What do we need five bedrooms for?" she asked after he'd showed her everything and they sat down on the big couch in the living room. „We" sounded still a bit strange to both of them.

„Well, I could think of some things." Jane grinned salacious and Lisbon slapped him on the arm.

„Seriously. I have no idea what I am even supposed to do. I've lived alone since I was 18… and this…" she gestured around herself „…is weird and strange and I don't know if I like it."

Jane chuckled at the horrified look on her face and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

„It's going to be great. We've always been a good team, right?"

„Yeah, at work. How am I supposed to handle you 24/7?" Teresa tried her best to sound serious, but he knew she was joking.

„Well, the house is at least big enough for you to hide somewhere."

„Fair enough."

Feeling that she needed some time for herself to process everything, Teresa excused herself to the bathroom to take a long bath. Jane decided to use the time she was away to make dinner. They'd done some grocery shopping after arriving in Austin, along with moving his stuff from the airstream to their new home.

He felt a wave of excitement as he was standing in the kitchen slicing vegetables. It had been a long time since he made dinner for anyone. And it had been an even longer time since he'd lived in a house. Or with a woman. Or anyone. It all felt new and exciting, even though he had to admit he was terrified too. But so was Teresa. It was a completely new situation for both of them and they'd need some time to get used to it. It was just natural.

Their whole lives had changed completely within the past 48 hours and it was hard to process it all. He'd admittedly been a bit surprised when she agreed to move in with him, but then again there was really no need for them to wait any longer. They knew each other in and out, they'd been close friends for 12 years - and she had nowhere else to sleep anyway. It was just logical to move into the house he'd bought for them months ago. He hadn't realized back then that he'd subconsciously bought it for her - for them. At least he hadn't been ready to acknowledge it. But it was true, the house was astoundingly similar to the one Teresa had drawn when she'd been a little girl.

As Jane thought about the past two days he couldn't help but smile a little to himself. In the end, the truth had made everything right. No masks, no games, just the truth. Just him. The man he was behind his facades, behind his tricks and schemes. Because that was the man Teresa wanted. She wanted him as he was, with all his scars and flaws, with all his quirks and sins. She'd always seen that man in him, his real self, even when nobody else had. She had always believed in him, just like Angela had. He'd almost lost them both because of his stupidity. Almost. He still shuddered at the thought of just how close he had come. Realization had hit him just in the nick of time. He'd finally realized that he needed to unburden himself to her, that he needed to tell her how he felt, even if it was too late. He owed it to her to give her a choice. And luckily, she'd decided for him. She loved him back.

And he knew that finding the courage to tell her was the best and most right thing he'd done in years.

* * *

**Well, a huge step, but at least for me, a logical one. I really hope they'll move in together on the show too... :P**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long, I don't even know what happened. But here it comes now and I really hope you guys like it! Thank you so much for your reviews, they really mean a lot to me. And again, a huge thank you to tamariskie for betaing!**

* * *

Teresa came back down an hour later, wet hair hanging over her right shoulder, wearing nothing but one of Jane's shirts. She was so small and petite that she could drown in it. It was adorable. She was adorable. Even without any make up, he still found that she was the most beautiful woman on earth, though perhaps his love for her might have blurred his objectivity.

Jane was still in the kitchen, waiting for dinner to be ready. He smiled broadly at her when she came in, eyes lingering a bit longer on her bare legs than necessary.

„Where's the coffee?" she asked, eyes peering through the kitchen.

Jane rolled his eyes at that, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of wine.

„Meh. No coffee for you, my love. How about a glass of wine instead?"

Lisbon leaned against the counter, raising an eyebrow at him.

„Fine."

„How can you even want to have coffee now? It's past 8 already."

„There's never a wrong time for coffee."

Jane gave her one of the filled glasses and kept the other for himself.

„You're round the bend, woman. Too much caffeine is not good for you."

Lisbon took a sip from her wine and looked up to him, grinning smugly.

„Yeah. You've been telling me that for a decade, but you never managed to convince me."

„I could easily get you off your coffee addiction. It takes only three minutes of preparation and two sentences. I haven't done it yet because I was afraid you'd hate me."

„Oh, I would, trust me. I love my coffee in the morning."

„Yeah, and the five following cups each day."

Lisbon stuck out her tongue at him, before bending down to have a look in the oven.

„You know how to make pizza?"

„Of course." Jane grinned smugly and came over to her, so close that she was literally pinned to the counter.

Teresa smiled up to him, while taking another sip of wine.

„Can I keep you?" she asked.

„I'm all yours." He smiled happily now, wrapping his arms around her waist, leaning down and pressing his lips longingly against hers. Teresa put her glass down and wrapped her arms around his neck, while he tightened his grip around her waist to lift her up onto the counter. His hands were roaming over her body, while he slowly removed his lips from hers to kiss her neck. She moaned with pleasure, relishing the moment, still slightly bewildered by their new intimacy. It was an utterly positive kind of bewilderment, though. She'd waited so long for this.

It was her loudly growling stomach that disrupted their moment. Jane pulled away from her and couldn't help laughing. He really laughed, loudly even, and Teresa suddenly realized that she barely ever heard him laugh. He grinned and smiled a lot, but she wasn't sure she'd ever heard him laughing with pure joy.

She hopped down from the counter and punched him on the arm, which made him laugh even harder.

„I think…" he started, unable to pull himself together again „I think dinner is ready. Let's slay the hungry lion inside of you."

„It's not even that funny. Actually, it's not funny at all." Teresa said, feigning a pout.

Jane's laughter faded slowly. „Meh, maybe not. But if there's something you can laugh about you should do it."

„Yeah. Well, then, next time you get yourself into trouble, I'll just be standing outside of the holding cell laughing at you."

This time it was Jane's turn to poke his tongue out at her. She returned the favor, before taking two plates out of the cupboard and putting them down on the table, while Jane served the pizza.

„Et voilá. Pizza alla Jane. Charlotte used to love this one." Jane mentioned his daughter without even thinking about it and when he realized it, he flinched. For a split second Lisbon could see the pain on his face, but he did his best to put up a facade pretty quickly. She hadn't heard him saying his daughter's name very often since she'd first met him. He avoided saying it, because thinking of her always filled him with unbearable pain.

Lisbon looked at him softly, head tilted to one side, smiling sympathetically.

„Look, Jane… you don't have to hide your feelings from me. I thought we were over that. I understand if you don't want to talk to me about Angela and Charlotte, but tabooing their names won't do any good. I think…" she sighed and sat down, following the call of her repeatedly growling stomach. Jane sat down next to her, his expression unreadable.

„I think you should try to remember the good times you had with them and how happy you were. Stop reducing them to their dead bodies and to the fact that Red John took them from you. You owe them as much. Let them live on through your good memories." She grabbed his hand and softly caressed the back of it. Jane swallowed hard before he looked up to her again. She'd never dared to tell him something like that before. She'd given him advice when she thought he needed it or when she was worried about him, but she'd never been so direct before.

Jane felt his walls building up inside of him, like they always did when someone mentioned his family, but he knew, of course, that she was right. It was part of moving on and he would have to deal with it. There was no way around it.

He didn't say anything, though, he just nodded and freed his hand to reach for the knife to slice the pizza. Teresa sighed, her eyes lingering on him.

„I'm sorry." she said „I shouldn't have…"

Jane cut her off. „No. You're right. Don't be sorry."

He smiled sadly at her, placing one slice of pizza on her plate.

„Someone has to tell me these things sometimes. And if you don't do it, then who will?"

Teresa returned his smile and took a bite from her pizza. „It's delicious." she said.

„Remember when you told me years ago that you'd always be there for me? And you really were… most of the time, if you don't count Vegas or Venezuela… or that one time you ditched me at that beach, or betrayed my trust in you…" she paused for a second and frowned „but anyway… my point is, I realized I never told you that I'll always be there for you, so I'll do it now. I'll always be there if you need me and I'll never leave you as long as you don't want me to, you understand?"

„You may have never told me, but you didn't need to. You were always there, Teresa. I know that. And you have no idea how grateful I am. I…" He shook his head, smiling. „I don't deserve you. Not even the slightest bit. But I'm also too selfish to let you go. I need you. More than you could ever imagine."

Teresa frowned at that, putting her slice of pizza back down on the plate.

„You're not selfish. Well, you are, often enough, but you weren't when you sneaked onto that plane. You were ready to let me go… you gave me a choice. And that was actually what triggered me to run after you. You didn't trick me into staying by saying all those things… You let me go and I decided to stay because I wanted to. What you don't understand is that I need you just as much as you need me. I was a mess when you were gone… you should have seen me, really. And… I admittedly have some trust issues, but I think I'm finally ready for a committed relationship… with you. Don't ask me why or how, but you got me. You got to me like no one else ever did. Stop having such a low opinion of yourself."

She managed to keep her voice calm and controlled, but she was struggling on the inside. It wasn't easy for her to open up like that. There was a reason she never really had a proper relationship in almost two decades. She had issues with committing to someone, giving up a part of her freedom, of her independence. No one ever seemed to be worth overcoming those issues… no one except Jane. She knew she loved him. He was the first and only man she ever truly loved. And for him, she'd overcome her anxieties and even the trust issues she still had when it came to him. It was not like she didn't trust him at all… she was just cautious, because he'd betrayed her often enough in the past. It didn't matter to her anymore, but it was still saved somewhere in the back of her mind.

„Meh, I'm sure you were doing fine when I was gone. Anyway… it's funny, because most people would probably disagree with you and call me a narcissistic asshole."

„Well, that's because they don't know you. That arrogant behavior is nothing but a disguise, a facade you put on to protect yourself. Doesn't mean you can't be an asshole sometimes, though."

Teresa gave him a smile and he returned it, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

„I love you." he said and she leaned over to kiss him shortly on the lips.

„I know." she said with a smirk, before turning her attention back to her slice of pizza.

* * *

„First night in our new home." Jane said a while later, when Teresa was doing the dishes, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and leaning his head on her shoulder.

„Yeah. Sounds terrifying. I still can't believe I'm really doing this."

„Doing what?"

„Mhm, well, let's see: committing my whole life to you, living together after roughly two days of actually being together, spending 24/7 with an annoying idiot like you… should I go on?" Lisbon said, not being really serious.

„Meh. Basically we've been together for years. We've known each other longer and better than most married couples who celebrate their first decade together. Also you're lying. You never really found me annoying, but rather intriguing… although you always denied it."

She snorted at that. „Yeah, just keep telling yourself that."

Jane started to kiss her neck then and she smiled, tilting her head slightly to the back and closing her eyes to relish the feeling of his soft lips on her skin. Moaning quietly with pleasure, the turned around in his embrace to smile at him and find his lips with her own. While she kissed him, she unbuttoned his shirt and shoved it roughly over his shoulders to touch his bare skin.

For someone who spent most of his time lying around on a couch, drinking tea or eating ice cream, he was surprisingly toned. Maybe he secretly used the gym at work sometimes after all. She'd ask him some time, she thought.

His tongue was brushing over her lips, inviting her to play. She deepened their kiss by parting her lips slightly to let him in and welcome him with her own tongue. Once again electricity started sizzling between them, filling both of them with a pleasurable, prickling feeling, with lust and longing.

Without further ado Jane pressed her against him, picking her up and carrying her out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the bedroom they'd picked out to be theirs earlier. He laid her down on the bed and crawled over her to continue kissing her lips, her neck and every part of her body he could reach. He didn't need much time to remove his shirt from her petite body, followed by her panties and his trousers. Teresa looked up to him, biting her lip and giving him a challenging smile.

His fingers brushed over the scar on her shoulder, where O'Laughlin's bullet had hit her years ago and he stopped for a moment, just looking at it.

„Almost feels like it happened just days ago, doesn't it?" she asked quietly.

„Hmm… for a few moments I thought I'd lost you. I still remember that dreadful feeling in my chest… that I've caused another death; that Red John took the only person left who I truly cared about. But then I heard your voice… and I've rarely ever felt so relieved like I did in that moment."

Teresa swallowed. She still wasn't used to him being that honest with her, basically wearing his heart on his sleeve.

He kissed her scar then, softly, his lips barely touching her skin.

„You are so strong. And brave. So much more than I could ever be." he said, kissing her neck and the sensitive spot behind her ear.

„You are brave in your very own way, Patrick." she said with a smile, closing her eyes and relishing the feeling of his lips on her skin.

Much like their first time, their second time in bed together was gentle. Soft, tender and full of love and longing. It felt more intense than anything Teresa had ever experienced before. And even more intense were the orgasms he gave her. She felt like she could fly, like she was transferred to another, better world.

For him, it was the promise of a second chance. A new life and a brighter future. When he looked into her deep green eyes, he knew that she was everything he needed. She was his savior and he would provide her with all the love he could give. And when Patrick Jane loved someone, he did it completely and with all his heart. There was nothing he wouldn't do for his loved ones. He'd proven it once by killing a man and he would do it again if it was necessary. But this time he'd be more careful in the first place. He'd protect her. Forever.

* * *

Just as Jane had predicted, they didn't need much time to find a routine with their new living situation. Lisbon's stuff arrived a few days after they'd been back to Austin, along with a very short but snappish note from Pike, saying „You two deserve each other. In order to spare my Karma, I won't add anything else." Jane had a good laugh at it, even though Teresa wasn't amused at all, probably because she still felt guilty.

Now, one week later, their new home started to actually feel like home. They learned more about each other every day. Teresa had to learn that Jane had no talent for doing the laundry at all, after she'd found half of her white blouses turned to several shades of pink. Jane had to learn that Lisbon had absolutely no talent for cooking. And just like that, their roles were forming, without any difficulties, just like Jane had predicted.

Teresa found that she liked living together with another human being, especially with Jane. Some days he would drive her crazy, but others he would make her laugh and smile and feeling like dancing around the house. That was probably all one could wish for in a relationship.

During those first weeks she saw him smiling more often than in the previous 12 years altogether. She hugged him and kissed him whenever she felt like it and it made her utterly happy to finally be able to do so. They'd survived some very, very rough and dark years and now that they finally found themselves together, everything seemed to be so much brighter.

The darkness wasn't gone completely, though. They were on a good way, but some dark shades would probably never vanish.

One night at the beginning of their second week together, Lisbon had to learn that Jane's scars were still there, even though they didn't matter that much anymore. She woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of him struggling and screaming and crying. He had a nightmare. He was sweating, face distorted with agony.

„Jane!", she said carefully in an attempt to wake him up. „Patrick."

She shook him at the shoulder, but he was literally captured by his own dream.

„Patrick. Wake up. It's just a nightmare. Wake up."

Then, finally, he bolted upright and opened his eyes, breathing heavily. He looked around, slowly realizing that everything was fine.

„It was just a dream." Teresa said with a soft voice.

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

„I… I'm so sorry."

„You don't have to be sorry. I have nightmares more often than I probably should myself… it comes with the job. Dead people, bad guys… we see them everyday and they follow us in our dreams."

„Red John should be gone. Gone forever. But he's still there, in my head. The bastard."

Jane laid back down and Teresa wrapped an arm around his waist.

„I know. He's in my head too. Sneaky bastard. He manages to haunt us even when he's dead."

„It's the night he caught you, isn't it? It's still haunting you."

„Yes. Yes, it is. It's hard to forget something like that. He could have killed me so easily…"

„He wouldn't have. He knew it would have destroyed me and then he would have lost his antagonist… or his toy, if you want."

„Well, you've won the game. And I'm so glad you did. Even if I'd have preferred a more legal way of getting rid of him…"

„You know that wasn't possible. Half of the CBI agents were corrupt. He'd have been out again before he'd even been in."

„I know. I know. It was the right thing to do."

„You do?" Jane propped himself on his elbows to be able to face her and raised an eyebrow.

„Yes. I do. And it would have been my pleasure to kill him myself. I can say that now, because I'm not on the case anymore."

„Well, you never cease to surprise me."

He leaned over her and kissed her tenderly.

„You're the best thing that happened to me after I lost everything."

Teresa kissed him back, caressing his cheeks softly with her fingertips. He was still a bit sweaty, but she didn't care.

„I love you." he said and was on the verge of tears again.

„I love you, too." she said, before she rested her head back on his chest.

It was the first of many nights on which one of them would wake up screaming because of a nightmare. But now they could give each other the comfort they so desperately needed and that was worth a lot.

* * *

_She bolted upright in bed, screaming and crying, terrified to the bones. She needed a few seconds to realize that it'd only been a nightmare and that she was safe. Relief flooded her and she laid back down, breathing heavily. Her bedroom was dark and she was lonely and cold. She stared at the ceiling, shivering. Her heart was racing like she'd just done a 500 meter sprint._

_With shaking hands she opened the drawer of her small bedside table and reached for her gun. It was still there and she immediately started to feel a bit better. She was a cop, she was strong and she was able to protect herself. Even from Red John._

_She wasn't so sure about Jane, though. He was the subject of her nightmares more and more often these days. She'd seen him laying on the ground with wide opened, cold eyes in a pool of blood. She'd dreamed about situations where he was shot right in front of her and she wanted to reach him, but she just couldn't. The feeling that she couldn't protect him was devastating. The sheer thought of losing him was__… __killing her inside._

_She took a deep breath and reached for her phone. It was 3am. It didn't matter. She needed to make sure he was okay. Without even thinking about it, she dialed his number._

„_Lisbon?" he didn't need long to answer, but he sounded like she'd woken him up. __„__What's the matter?"_

„_I… __I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. It's nothing, actually__… just… __just I nightmare. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be bothering you like that."_

„_No! No, it's okay. I'm always there for you, Lisbon, you know that."_

„_Are you… __are you okay?" she asked, feeling a bit silly for even asking._

„_I'm fine. Are you?"_

„_I guess__… __Look, I really am sorry. I should just hang up and let you sleep."_

„_Well, apparently you're not okay. And that's perfectly understandable after everything that happened, no need to be ashamed. I can come over if you want?"_

„_No! No, it's fine, really. I just wanted to know if you're okay. It's silly, I know."_

„_It's not. And if I could undo what happened I would, but I can't. It's my fault and I'm sorry, Teresa."_

„_Now you're being silly. It's not your fault. Things like that happen in my job, it's what I signed up for. Look, I'm sorry that I bothered you in the middle of the night, I'm fine now, I promise. Just__… __just go back to sleep Jane, okay?"_

_Jane was silent for a moment._

„_Okay. Fine. But you can call me anytime, Teresa. You could never bother me."_

_Lisbon closed her eyes. __„__Good night, Jane."_

„_Good night."_

_She hung up then and put her phone away again, before wrapping her blanket tightly around her to keep the cold away and trying to find back to sleep._

* * *

„We have to go back to work soon…" Lisbon said two days later while they were having breakfast. „I have no idea how to face them all… do you think Abbott told them?"

Jane looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow.

„Told them what?"

„About us."

Jane chuckled then and laid his book down. „No. Abbott loves _schadenfreude_ and he knows you'll be terrified."

„_Schadenfreude_? What's that supposed to be?"

„It's German for liking to see someone else suffer or be happy to see someone else suffer."

„Great." Lisbon said, obviously horrified. „There's a word for that?"

„Yes. They even have a saying for that: _Schadenfreude ist die sch__ö__nste Freude._"

„And what does that mean?"

„That schadenfreude is the most joyful or pleasurable kind of joy."

„I didn't even know that you can speak German." Lisbon said, suddenly a bit grumpy. The prospect of announcing their new relationship at work had spoiled her mood, probably for the whole day.

„Meh. Not really. A few words. I tried to read the original version of Goethe's Faust once, but I failed."

„Wow. Patrick Jane failed at something. Now that's a new one." she said sarcastically and grinned smugly.

„_Habe nun ach! Philosophie, Juristerei und Medizin, Und leider auch Theologie! Durchaus studiert, mit hei__ß__em Bem__ü__hn. Da steh ich nun, ich armer Tor! Und bin so klug als wie zuvor; Hei__ß__e Magister, hei__ß__e Doktor gar, Und ziehe schon an die zehn Jahr, Herauf, herab und quer und krumm, Meine Sch__ü__ler an der Nase herum - Und sehe, dass wir nichts wissen k__ö__nnen!" (*Johann Wolfgang Goethe - Faust I)_

Lisbon stared at him, a bit lost.

„_Da hab ich dich __ü__berrascht, huh?"_* he said slowly, not all that fluently.

(*„Now I surprised you quite a bit, huh?")

„A few words, huh? I didn't understand a word of that."

„Well, I read a lot when I was a kid and when I hid in the attic at the CBI. We also had some carney friends with German roots. They taught me a bit."

A big smile was forming on Teresa's lips.

„Actually, I can say something too."

„You can?"

„Yes."

„And what is that?" Jane grinned, a bit excited.

„_Ich liebe dich_."

„Aw. Well, that is beautiful. _Ich liebe dich auch_."

„I can also say it in Finnish."

„Finnish, huh? Interesting."

„_Rakastan sinua._" Teresa said with a smile. „And Portuguese and Irish, actually."

„Fascinating."

„_Te amo._ _Taim ingra leat_."

Jane raised his hands in surrender. „I give up. You beat me."

She didn't, of course, because Jane had a lot of languages saved somewhere in his memory palace, but he just loved how she smiled at her victory and he couldn't take that from her. She was so beautiful when she smiled, it was like he fell in love with her all over again every time she smiled at him like that.

Teresa poked out her tongue at him and reached for her cup of coffee.

„I know I didn't. But I'll let us both be happy by believing I did."

„I have to admit you've learned a lot over the years." Jane gave her another smile.

„I did, didn't I?"

She took a sip from her coffee, giving him a challenging look. Jane just shook his head in amusement and picked up his book again. She certainly was an original. One that actually managed to win arguments against him. And that was something very few people were capable of.

* * *

**A/N: That's it for now, but I'm already on the next one. I hope it won't take me that long again. xx**


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